What does the WISC-IV General Ability Index show?

The WISC-IV General Ability Index is part of the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children, designed to measure general intellectual ability without undue reliance on how fast a child processes information.

The WISC-IV ability index tests for Vocabulary, Similarities, Comprehension, Information, Word reasoning, Verbal Comprehension. The WISC is one of a family of Wechsler intelligence scales. The WISC is used not only as an intelligence test, but as a clinical tool. The tests also assesses cognitive ability usually to dtermine for learning disability.

The WISC-IV, or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition, yields a Full Scale IQ based on ten subtests. It is one of the most widely used measures for the assessment of cognitive abilities in school-age children and adolescents. It consists of four sections, verbal, perceptual reasoning, working memory index and processing speed.

This is a test of intelligence, and it shows how well the individual does at taking intelligence tests. Generally more than one test at separate times is needed to create a good overall evaluation of any person's abilities because issues such as mood or illness can make one test inconclusive.